Alcohol use disorder, which affects over 10% of Americans, can lead to persistent and serious insomnia. Difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep can last even after months of sobriety, increasing the risk of relapse.
University of Utah HealthFeb 6 2025 But treating withdrawal-related insomnia is difficult, partly because what's going on in the brain in this condition remains largely mysterious.
Crucially, the researchers found, the effects of alcohol on sleep depended on dose-and how one might expect. In both flies and humans, a small amount of alcohol acts like a stimulant, increasing feelings of energy and activity levels, while higher levels slow down thinking and reaction time and can cause unconsciousness. But a smaller alcohol dose that made flies hyperactive didn't prevent them from sleeping normally. In contrast, a bigger dose of alcohol disrupted sleep for days.
Targeting specific brain cells The team used genetic tools to change the activity of specific brain cells, narrowing down on the particular subset of acetylcholine-producing neurons that seem to be implicated in alcohol-induced sleep disruption. One important caveat is that turning off that group of cells doesn't cause sleep deficits on its own-flies must also be exposed to alcohol to develop sleep symptoms, meaning that something more complicated must be going on.
Brain Fruit Insomnia Research Cell Genes Genetic Microscope Neurons Neuroscience Sleep
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